COLUMBUS – Federal and state health officials are encouraging Ohioans not to wait to get their flu shots.
The Ohio Department of Health is recommending Ohioans six months and older get a flu shot as soon as possible and the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention is urging vaccination by the end of October, said Sietske de Fijter, state epidemiologist and chief of the Ohio Bureau of Infectious Diseases.
Flu activity traditionally begins to increase in October and can last as late as May, with cases typically peaking between December and February.
The CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the best protection against seasonal flu viruses.
Trivalent flu vaccines have been updated this year to better match these three circulating viruses:
A/Michigan/45/2015 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus (NEW)
A/Singapore/INFIMH-16-0019/2016 (H3N2)-like virus
B/Colorado/06/2017-like virus (This is a B/Victoria lineage virus)
Flu vaccines are offered by many doctor’s offices, clinics, health departments, pharmacies and college health centers, as well as by many employers and some schools.
Although most people fully recover from the flu, some experience severe illness like pneumonia and respiratory failure, and the flu can sometimes be fatal. There were 17,397 confirmed flu-related hospitalizations in Ohio during the 2017-18 flu season, which lasted from October to May.
Symptoms of influenza can include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.
Other effective ways to avoid getting or spreading the flu:
-washing hands frequently-using alcohol-based hand sanitizer
-covering coughs and sneezes with tissues
-coughing or sneezing into elbows
-avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth
The CDC recommends that healthcare providers administer prescription antiviral medication as a second line of defense as soon as possible to patients with confirmed or suspected flu who are hospitalized, have severe illness, or may be at higher risk for flu complications.